Gladstone bag



l. SILBER.

GLADSTUNE` BAG. APPucATloN nun-mn. 24; 192|.A

Patented Novo 7, 1922.

wafzfw r n.1 f en del il il dal a.;

ESRAEL SLIBBJ, OF CHICAGO, ELLt 01 enensrron'n BAG.

Application. medi/Laren as, 1921. serial No. 455,115.

,ll/ly invention relates to means `lor stili eningand strengtheningravelling bags and :tor improvingthe appearance of the same, and more particularly ttor eti'ecting these desirable improvements in connection with traveling bags ot the types commonly known as Gladstone or Railroad bags.

ln one of its prime obj ects, my invention aims to provide simple inexpensive and elective means for stiffening and strengtheningsuch a bag so that it will more eltectively resistboth side pressures on the bag and downward pressures exerted upon the top oit the bag. Another prime object is that o'l providing reinforcements rigidly secured to certain of the supporting buttons traveling bag', and ot effecting' this securing in such a manner that it will not interfere with the smooth interior of the bag and so that the presence oi such reinforcements willenhance the ornamental appearanceot the bag. Still further and more detailed objects ot" my invention will appear from thek following; specircation and trom the ection through a. portion of one side et thel company/ing drawings, yin which- Fig. i is a perspective viewot a traveling bag equipped with the reinforcing' and appearance-improvingmeans oit my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and horizontal secbag, talren .along the corresponding y numbered yline of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged and fragmentary vertical section taken *along the correspond ingly numbered line of Fig. l.

Fig. a is a bottom view of the bag.

In the embodiment of the drawings, the bag equipped with my invention is of the socalled Gladstone or Railroad type comprising two similar halves each fastened to a U-shaped frame. the said frames being yhinged to each other at their lower or tree ends, Each halt ot the baghas its main casing composed ot a cover l of leather stitlened with a thicker layer 2 of cardboard interposed between the leather 1 and a lining 3 of cloth or leather. Between the leather covering l and the cardboard in each halt ot the bag l insert a pair oi stiitening and rein forcing members il, each of which reinforcing members desirably consists of a strip ot metal bent latwise into the form of a U and comprising a lower shank lA extending along the bottom ot the bag, an upper portion 4B extending along the top of the bag and a middle portion e@ connecting the parts 45 and iB substantially as shown in Fig. 8. These reinforcements desirably are arranged in two pairs opposite each other on the two halves otl the bag; and with the `central plane ol the U of each member dis-` posed transversely oii the bag (or parallel toveither end of the bag) and located at a distance from both ends of a bag. ln practice, ,l desirably locate each of these reiniorcements r nearer `to one end of the bag than it is to the companion reinforcement in the same halt ot the bag. l also desirably malte each such reinforcement oll a stitl and substantially non-resilient metal, so that it will not readily be bent out oi' shape by strains upon it. By so doing, l make these reinorcements e'li'ective in resisting both lateral strains uponthe bag (such as a tendency to squeeze or compress the bags sidewise) and downward pressure exerted upon the` top of the bag.

lo prevent each such reinforcement from shitin in position, l securey the same immovably between the adjacent portion of the leatl'ier'coveringr and of the cardboard `lining. for which purpose `lndesirably employ rows 5 oi stitching made through the leather and the cardboard adjacent to both edges ot the metal reinforcement, and desirably have the stitches alongside each of the reinforcements extend through a strip ot cloth or tape 6 disposed inside of the cardboard opposite the reinforcement. This tape prevents the stitching` from tearing through the cardboard (which cardboard may their be oi :fairly cheap grade) and hence insures a .firm anchoring ot' the adjacent reinforcement, although the cloth' strip or tape may be so thin as not to make the lining 3 bulge .inward suiiiciently` to disclose the presence ot such a strip or tape. ldfliile securing the parts to each other by this stitching, I desirably support the corresponding bag part in such a manner that the inner surta-ce ot the cardboard lining will remain substantially tia-t or unindente'd 'by the adjacent metal reint'orcing strip, thereby maintaining the desired smoothness orP the cloth or leather lining` 3 of the bag and causing the thickness ot the reintorcement to produce a corresponding bead ei'ectalong the exterior ot' the bag, substantially shown in Figs. l, 2 and-t oit the drawings. rlhis bead ettect adds considerably to the handsome appearance ot the finished Ibag, as it interrupts the otherwise monotonous surface ofthe sides and top" oi the bag, thereby enabling me to enhance the appearance oi the bag by the same means which attordthe reinforcements.

As `ifurther aid in strengthening the bag and particularly in distributing pressures exerted upon the tcp ot the bag, I desirably support the bag when on'the floor by buttons or studs including someyi'vhich-are directly anchored to the lU-shape'd reinforcements. In doing so, I preferably employ eight such Vstuds or buttons instead of the usual six, namely tour studs 7 tdisposed substantially under the corners 'ot'the bag and tour auxiliary studs 8, each of these auxiliary studs S being anchored to the bottom A ot one ot the reinforcements. For this latter purpose,'I desirably pertorate the bottom portion 4B ot 'each 'reinforcement and employ studs 8, each of which forms the head ot a split or clincher rivet having a shank 9 which is driven Vboth through the flap or extension portion of 'the vblagside which laps under the bottom proper ofy the bag and through this-bottom. Thus,-Fig. 3 shows thek split lshank 9 ofthestud 8 'as extending `i upwards 'successively through 'the bottoni :Hap tormedintegal `'with the -lside leather l, thelowerportion 4^' of-'oneo'fthe reinforcing strips, the bottom *Hap `onf-.the side cardboard reintorcenient, "the'tlap of Vthe tip or 'webbing 6 en "t .e same-'side Soit "the bag, the bottoni 'leather covering-ofi the L 'and the bottom ``cardho`ad `lining l0. p

- K A boardf: andfthez inner'f face v`of the-leather .facdisposedy over this cardboard-i piece L impart af beadlike f.appaarance,-:t said strips l1lriavlmg'.inturnedzfupperf'ends ther-rend edges insane-v' grade ot iron I can attain the desired rigidity and resistance against both downward and lateral strains on the bag. That is to say, it the bag as thus constructed is subjected to any lateral strains tending to crush the same, the stiffness of the reinforcing strips will prevent the bag sides from being indented or tleXed inwardly, thereby guarding the contents ot the bag against injury and likewise preventing the cardboard lining. ot' the side from being unduly indented or even cracked. Likewise, it any heavy 'weight should be placed on the top o't' the bag, this weight will be supported primarily by the reinforcing strips, and since these will transmit the thrust directly to the studs 8 at the bottom of the bag, the strain due to such a weight will not indent or otherwise injure the bag proper. I have also found that by simply forming continuous rows ot stitches as above described alongside the reinforcements, I practically incase each of these reinforcing strips in a tube in which the bent form ot the reinforcement keeps the latter from moving. I can therefore anchor these reinforcements in an effective position by very simple and cheap means, although Ialso desirably employ thev studs'Sas'abovedescribedin a manner Whichsupp-lements this anchoring. As a turther `means 'ot augmenting :the resistance ot' 4the'bag against lateral 'compression, Inlay carry the Shanks yor horizontal portions ot thefiU-shaped *reinforcing strips `up yto fthe frame Aportions ot the bag, as shown for rerample `at :the top ot Fig. 3, where the treefendlof the reinforcing strip portion 4B abutsv against the .l adj acent frame portion 12. However, `while I [have v4illustrated and described my `invention as .ap-

plied to` a particular shape ofztraveling bag and as including desirable `details `-of arrangement and of construction, lI do not wish to lbe limited to these, since kit will beobvious'that numerous changes mightabemade without depart-ingfrom the spiritfof my invention or "from the appendedclaims.

I claim as .my inventionz l. lInfa bag, afpair of'hingedly connected.

U-frame members, a Acover for -each `me'n'lber :including a lining, a .leather facing, `and al layen olf-cardboard ,interpcsedfbetween the lining' and leather v,taci-ugrLa iibottom, niet-al reinforcingstripsfengagedy `with-:fand interosed: between @the Router :ftace #of fthe carding 'so as? to bulge the latter; outwardly to of- *which :abut: the:- adjacent v :part-s f of 1. the

.frame members and havin'gintunnedilower endsvfwhieh engagez-heneathzthe bottom ot thelbagg-tapes betweenffthe liningrzandicardboard registering with the ff-metal strips, studs extendingthruuglt'the covers the A insane? inturned lower ends oil the metal strips and through the bag bottom, and stitching extending through the lining tapes, cardboard and leather facing and along the sides of the metal strips to hold the latter against lateral movement.

i2. In, a bag, a pair of hingedly connected U-rame members, a cover for each member including a lining, a leather facing, and a layer of cardboard interposed between the lining and leather facing, a bottom, metal reinforcing strips engaged with and interposed between 4the outer .tace of the cardboard and the inner face of the leather facing so as to bulge the latter outwardly to impart a beadelike appearance while permitting the cardboard and lining to remain flat, backing strips between the lining and cardboard registering with the metal strips, means to secure the lower ends of the strips lto the bag bottom, and stitching extending through the leather facing, cardboard, back-- lthe bottom to said lower inturned strip ends,

the upper ends of the strips abutting the adjacent part-s of the frame members, and rows or stitching extending along each side of each strip and extending through the layers of material to hold the strips against lateral movement and to impart a beadlike eii'ect to the cover. g

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, March 17th,

ISRAEL SILBER. 

